When bones and muscles both break down with aging

July 23, 2019

Credit: and.one, Adobe Photo Stock

Many people who are living longer after a sedentary lifestyle are paying the price. The diseases osteoporosis and sarcopenia are on the rise, and their underlying biological similarities and common risk factors are creating a new syndrome: osteosarcopenia.

This syndrome exacerbates each disease’s associations with high risk of frailty, falls, fractures, hospitalisation and mortality; indeed, a study confirmed that osteosarcopenia is linked with poorer physical function than sarcopenia alone.

Early diagnosis and intervention for this “hazardous duet” are imperative, so here’s what to know.